India and the Indian Ocean

Basin

Chapter 16Colette Spencer

After Gupta• Northern & Southern India developed differently• In North, lots of chaos – states vying for power• Turks from central Asia invaded– Liked caste system – stayed and assimilated

• King Harsha – temp. restored central rule – 606-648– Reputation of piety, kindness and scholarship– Unable to maintain rule– Local rulers had too much power– Was assassinated – no heirs

Islam Introduced• During chaotic time, in stepped Islam• Entered two ways:– 1. Arab military in 711 in Sind – Umayyad then Abbasid

• HIN, BUD remained• Infighting among Arabs allowed Hindu leaders to reassert their

authority

– 2. Merchants brought Islam by land and sea• Formed small communities in big cities• Married local women• Gradual and more effective than force

– 3. migrations and invasions of Turk speaking people from Central Asia

• Mahmud of Ghazni – Afghan Turk – b/w 1001-1027 led several raids into India– Just wanted to raid, not control– Demolished many HIN & BUD sites– Established mosques

• His successors conquered most of N. India• Est. Islamic state known as Sultanate of Delhi– from 1206-1526– Raided into the South but never conquered– Depended on goodwill of HIN princes to carry out their

policies

Hindu Kingdoms of S. India• S. was politically divided• Mostly escaped invasions, war, chaos• Mostly small states – occasional fighting• Two small kingdoms did est. rule for awhile

• 1st – Chola Kingdom – ruled deep S. coast for over 4 cent.– Navy dominated S. China Sea to Arabian Sea– Did not have tight central state– Gave lots of autonomy to local and village gov’t

• As long as they delivered tax revenue to Chola

• 2nd – Vijayanagar Kingdom – Sultanate of Delhi sent 2 brothers to bring under control– When they got there they est. their own state– Would stay in power until Mughal invaders in 1565

Agriculture in the Monsoon World• b/c of monsoons, irrigation was essential• Huge reservoirs held rainwater• Huge increase in agricultural production• Population growth steady– Concentrated in cities

Trade & Economics in S. India

• Trade grew even though no political stability• Most regions self-sufficient in rice, wheat, etc.• Regions specialized in iron, copper, salt and pepper• Area prospered b/c of less war

• In S. India, public life revolved around Hindu temples• Temples organized agr. work, kept surplus, irrigation,

lots of land– 100’s of employees– served as banks, made loans, invested in businesses– Worked with merchant guilds

Trade in the Indian Basin• India wealthy from trading around Indian Ocean• Dhow – ship used by Indian, Persian and Arabs• Junks – ship used by Chinese & SE Asians• Spent months in distant ports buying and selling

• India’s central location – good place for emporia and warehouses

• Lots of different religions in port cities• Prosperity meant people wanted more valuable goods

Kingdom of Axum• In northern Ethiopia about 1st century CE• Replaced Kush (Nubia) as Egypt’s trading link to S. Africa• Adopted Christianity• In 6th cent. they began expanding – took Ethiopia &Yemen • Muslim Arabs tried to conquer and failed

• All neighboring states were Muslim – fell out of contact with other Christians– developed differently

• Adulis was most prominent port in E Africa• Traded with India and SE Asia• Axum remained independent

Caste System• Migration, Islam, economic development and

urbanization put pressure on caste system• It adapted and changed to fit new circumstances• Became more complex• Reached deeper into S. India

• In absence of a strong central gov’t, caste system helped maintain order in towns

• Turks and Muslims gained recognition as distinct groups– Est. their own codes of behavior and

punishments– Their descendants absorbed into

Indian society

Development of Hinduism• Arrival of Islam hurried the decline of BUD– Conquered and destroyed their areas– BUD became minor faith in its home country

• Hinduism benefited from this decline

• Hinduism had a big growth of devotional cults– Esp. Vishnu (the preserver) and Shiva (the destroyer)– Liked the new cults b/c they promised salvation easier

• Venerated the gods by offering their images food or drink

Islam’s Appeal• Gradually attracted

acceptance in merchant communities b/c traders took Hindu wives

• When Arabs conquered, they didn’t let Hindus in gov’t

• Gradually many Indians converted

• By 1500 – ¼ of people converted

• Lower caste Hindus wanted to escape discrimination

• In Islam, all people are equal• Most effective missionaries were Sufis– Their sincerity/devotion attracted converts